Staten Islanders packed a meeting room at Brighton Heights Reformed Church on June 19 for a town hall meeting held by City Councilwoman Debi Rose. Residents came to the microphone to voice concerns about the budget-austerity cuts proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
(Staten Island Advance/Virginia N. Sherry)

ST. GEORGE -- City Councilwoman Debi Rose held a town hall meeting on June 19 to hear the views of North Shore residents about Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s proposed cuts to social-services programs citywide, including proposed slashes to funding that directly affects children, working parents, and seniors in her district.

Residents packed a meeting room at Brighton Heights Reformed Church on St. Mark’s Place, and came to the microphone to voice concerns about the budget-austerity cuts, all of them speaking concisely and adhering to the announced two-minute limit per speaker.

“We can’t balance the budget on the backs of our children,” said Ms. Rose (D-North Shore). “This is an absolute disgrace.”

Speaker after speaker agreed, including working women with children who took to the podium and described personal situations, and the impact of the proposed cuts on their lives.

Deirdre Andrews of Port Richmond was one. She walked to the microphone with her 2-year-old triplets in tow, and asked Ms. Rose: “What’s the plan?” to fight back, after explaining that she is a working mom.<CM+NT SEE PHOTO of mom and triplets-NT>

Other residents came forward, and denounced proposed cuts in day-care, early education, kids’ after-school, and senior-citizen programs, including elder-abuse initiatives. 

NEED FOR RECREATION

The lack of recreational facilities for North Shore youth was also raised. Ms. Rose and North Shore residents repeatedly referenced the May 2010 collapse of Cromwell Center in Tompkinsville, and the threatened closing of Faber pool in Port Richmond for the summer. Ms. Rose reminded the audience of the drowning death of 15-year-old Vaughan Mitchell of New Brighton in the Kill van Kull.

Proposed cuts in day-care programs hit a particular nerve among many members of the audience.

“This is an economic development issue for our communities,” said Ms. Rose, who argued that it’s illogical to take away day-care services from mothers who “are getting jobs and working.”

Other issues emerged as members of the audience, including representatives of nonproft agencies, had their say.

Advocates said that cuts in programs for seniors will negatively impact adult day-care and case management services. Programs serving special-needs children, the homeless, and people living with HIV/AIDS, are also under the knife, they said.

[Editor’s note: It appeared on Monday that many of the programs discussed at this Town Hall meeting were left intact in the coming year’s budget though that will not become final until later this week.] 